Dennis Hollingsworth

Still Sorting

Today, we're still sorting. This time, it's the office. Books, Files, taxes, finances, archives, computer stuff, and the bric a brac: paper, pencils, paper clips, notebooks, etc, etc, etc...

But before we dove into this, in the early morning, we went to Fort Worth to visit the Kimbell and Ft. Worth Art Museums. This may be the last time that we can do this. (Of course not forever, we hope to visit Dallas, Ft. Worth again some day.) Louie Kahn's Kimbell is an architectural shrine for me. I've always wanted to see it when I studied it in school, and here we are.

Silence and Light.

It usually takes thirty minutes to drive to Fort Worth, it's separated from Dallas by a major traffic artery. There was a crowd descending upon that city. We noticed many cowboy hats in expensive trucks and cadillacs along the way. And they were all converging on a Rodeo that was staged across the street from the museums.

I've heard a few crits that Tadao Ando's building looks like an office building, or that it doesn't address either the city or the Kimbell, or that it's detailing sucked. There are things that can be said in defense of these claims, but from what I can see: The disposition of the building is appropriately stately, cost effective ( I hear the budget was not the most generous), the detailing at least doesn't pull any distracting boners, it does face the city (but I find Ando's formal claim on the skyline to be strained)... and above all, it showcases paintings in a copiously wonderful manner. The Guston show was roomy and comprehensive here and when I saw it at the Met in NYC, it was cramped and suffocating and mean.

As for addressing Kahn's building... the Kimbell is so internal, with it's barrel vaults and voluted light ducts... it's relationship to the city is strange.

Check this out:

This is the car entrance.
It looks like a loading dock.

This is the front. There is a street, no sidewalk, no drive or vehicle entrance, no drop off, a hedge, a field of grass, a screen of trees and a smaller dense grove of trees in the entrance courtyard before you get to the front door. The city's transportation infrastructure does not lead you to this entrance.

And it's ok by me. Check out the interior:


I got to shoot a few paintings that popped out to me:

Check out this Ensor. Back in LA, the Getty has Ensor's "Christ Entering Brussels", a great painting.
It's cool to see other work by him.

And a Goya's Matador Romero.
He must have been as young and as dandy as the matador when he painted this one.

And Courbet's landscapes, showing his freaky color and pallette knife licks.
I wonder if he painted teh "Origin of the world" with a similar abandon?

And Fran Angelico... I tried to shoot the monsters in the background, but all I got were blurred images.

And Carracci's butcher shop.
It's amazing that as this was painted in the 1580's.
For me, it vibes with Francis Bacon, Ben Shahn and Jacob Lawrence.

...and Caravaggio's sleight of hand...

Back in the Forth Worth Museum....

Here's Eric Swenson again.

And the former puppet maker, Ron Mueck.
Amazing detail and scale control.
Silicon injected molds.